The present invention relates generally to the preservation of food items, and more particularly to a system and method for retaining freshness of perishable food items.
Retaining the freshness of food stored in a refrigerator has been a long-standing desire of consumers. The refrigerators or food preservation systems commonly available typically do not retain the taste, flavor or freshness of food when it is stored over a long period of time. One cause of this may be the way current systems control the operating conditions inside such systems. For instance, refrigerator storage compartments are typically set to maintain a temperature that lies in the range of 32-44 deg F. regardless of the food items stored in the compartments or the lengths of time the food items are to be stored.
Another issue with current food preservation systems is the lack of control over the loss of water from the stored food due to exposure to cold or humid air. For example, it is a general observation that green beans or leafy vegetables like lettuce can loose water up to 35% of original weight within three weeks of storage in a normal refrigerator pan. Although raising the humidity level around the stored food may help retain food freshness, bacteria and fungus that can spoil food grow faster in such humid environments.
Although growth of the bacteria and fungus may be controlled by exposing the food to germicidal or bactericidal environments, over-exposure of the food to these environments can cause some delicate vegetables like lettuce and cabbage to show surface pitting/browning.
Thus, there is need of a food preservation system that better retains the freshness of the food.